Secrets
by ginny.loves.ron
Summary: When the Cullens left in New Moon, Bella never told them she was a witch. Returning to Hogwarts was great, but who she saw there most definitely was NOT. Harry Potter/Twilight crossover. EdwardxBella, VERY MINOR RonxOtherStudent. R&R! First fic!
1. Leaving

**Hi everybody! So, I'm an HP and Twilight fan, and I decided that for my first fic, I'd combine the two! Here's a little description, I hope it clears a few things up.**

**Bella and the Harry Potter crew (The Weasley kids, Luna Lovegood, Hermione) are IMMORTAL. They aren't vampires, but a special kind of wizard (you'll learn eventually).**

**Bella's FULL NAME is: Isabella Marie Dumbledore Weasley. She never was a Swan, never will be. Albus is her grandfather, and she's one of the Weasley kids. Harry, Hermione, and Luna are her cousins. So basically, Bella's family is bigger than England. Lol.**

**In this story, they're in their fourth year, but Cedric Diggory is NOT in Hogwarts. Yes, the Triwizard Tournaments will be involved. She also has Harry's scar, hence the connection to Voldemort. She's in the Order, and Sirius is her and Harry's godfather.**

**Are you informed? Good. I didn't want to get flooded with reviews or PMs with people asking questions. But anywhooooo, I hope you enjoy the fic, and review please! :D**

**P.S. I'm from London, UK, but I'm trying REALLY hard not to use British slang, or the American/British word differences. So if I slip up at all, I apologize in advance. ;D**

**xoxo Ginny (yes, that's my real name. Lol)**

--------Chapter-----One--------

"You... don't want me?" My words left a stinging remainder on my tongue. Edward was a still statue in front of me.

"No." Edward Cullen, the love of my life, looked like he had just stabbed himself. But I knew he was serious.

"If...if that's what you want." I stayed strong. Edward nodded, and I closed my eyes. His cool marble lips pressed against my forehead, and I felt calm for just a moment. Just as quickly as he kissed me, there was a rush of air. My eyes snapped open, and my heart broke at what I saw.

Edward was gone.

I stood there for a moment, shocked. What just happened? Edward...he...Alice, too? My best friend AND the man I loved. Both gone. What would I do? I couldn't stay in Forks, that was for sure. Then a thought hit me that repaired my heart.

I could go home. I COULD GO HOME!

No, not Phoenix, Arizona. My home is a place with ACTUAL Phoenixes. In the wizard world. In case you aren't in the know, I'm a witch. Always have been, since birth. My family would be ecstatic to know I was coming home.

I had two loving parents; Molly and Arthur Weasley. Sadly, I only had one little sister, Ginny. She was great to be around, always happy. Next was my twin brother, Ron. He was...well...he's a heavy-sleeping, monster-eating boy. But I love him. I had two older twin brothers, Fred and George. They were always up to no good, and very fun to be around.

My cousins, Harry, Hermione, and Luna, lived with us. Harry's parents died. Luna's father was around sometimes, but not a lot. And Hermione's parents were Muggles, and disowned her when they found out she was a witch. We lived with the Order Of The Phoenix, an organization for killing Voldemort, a dark wizard. He killed Harry's parents.

Voldemort tried to kill my family and I, but my grandfather, Albus Dumbledore, was visiting, and his attempt failed. He still tried to kill me, but his powers weakened, leaving a lightning-shaped scar on my forehead. Some say he died, some say he's letting his powers grow in hiding, and some, like my family and I, know he's out there, just waiting for the right moment to attack.

I snapped out of my trance at the sound of someone calling my name. I looked between the trees, but nothing was there. Someone tapped my shoulder, making me jump.

"Oh, it's just you, Aunt Tonks." I hugged my aunt quickly, pulling back to admire her new hairstyle.

"Gone with green now, eh? It looks good." She smiled at me sadly.

"I saw what happened, Bells." I sighed and looked at the ground. One of the many disadvantages of being a witch (especially one that's being hunted); you never have a moment of privacy. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Aunt Tonks' voice was softer, more understanding, and I nodded.

"So, how's the family?" I asked casually as we strolled through the forest. This was what I missed, having someone who knew about what I was. Being around the Cullens for eight months meant I had to hide everything, including my natural British accent. I could also let my red hair and freckles show, which was nice.

"Fine. Ginny and Luna ask about you every single morning. We've all missed you terribly." She put an arm around my shoulders, and I smiled. Everyone would sure be in shock when I showed up.

"So, are we going to get out of this hellhole today?" I lightened the mood, and Ant Tonks giggled.

"Of course. Nobody's seen your Nimbus or wand, right?" Her voice was in-command now. I knew how much Aunt Tonks wanted a baby of her own, so I was usually her "daughter". Not that I was complaining. Aunt Tonks was great. I even inherited her gift being a Metamorphmagus.

"No. But this girl...Alice saw my wand once. I just told her it was a decoration." I had trouble saying Alice's name. Burning memories filled my mind, making me blink back tears.

"Good. Let's get you packed up, then. Molly's making chicken and ham pie, can't be late for dinner!" I laughed at Aunt Tonks' eagerness. Tonks ADORED Mom's food, and has been begging her for years to teach her how to make some of it. We headed back to...what was his name? Oh, right, Charlie Swan's house, and, with a flick of her wand, Aunt Tonks had my bags packed in record time.

"So, we're flying?" I asked excitedly. I hadn't practiced Quidditch with Ron, the twins, or Ginny in forever, and was looking forward to it the most. Other than returning to Hogwarts, of course.

"How else?" Tonks grinned mischievously. That was just another thing I loved about her. She was never afraid to have some real wizard fun in front of Muggles. "Just don't tell your father." We both giggled. Dad NEVER approved of using magic in front of Muggles. But he was fascinated with them, for reasons unknown.

"Alright, are you ready?" Aunt Tonks asked once we were on our brooms in the backyard. I nodded, and we kicked off into the air, speeding towards home. I cheered loudly as we flew into the moonlight. The rush of wind felt amazing.

After a very long race against Aunt Tonks, we finally arrived at home. I took a deep breath and hid in a bush as Aunt Tonks rang the doorbell. We had planned a huge surprise for everyone.

"Oh, hello, Aunt Tonks." Ginny looked and sounded disappointed that she was alone. My heart soared at the sight of her again.

"Go get the others, I bought you a surprise." I had to hide my giggles at the word "bought". Aunt Tonks was VERY excitable at times. And in moments, the entire family was sitting around the living room.

"What'd you buy us?" Fred asked excitedly.

"Well, I'm about to show you." That was my cue. I walked in through the open door, and Luna, Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Ginny were hugging me in seconds.

"BELLA!" Ginny squealed, making me laugh. Mom and Dad looked like they could cry, Fred and George were grinning at me, the Order members were smiling at each other and me, and Aunt Tonks was beaming proudly.

"How's my little girl?" Dad squished me in a tight hug, but let me go when I started gasping for air.

"We have SO much to catch up on!" Luna enthused, and I nodded eagerly.

"Dinner's ready in twenty minutes!" Mom called up the stairs as we all went up.

"What did you do? What were the Muggles like? Did you make friends? Where did you live? What was your fake name?" Hermione bombarded me with questions the second my bedroom door clicked shut. I waved my wand and my suitcase unpacked itself quickly.

"Hermione, breathe. I was fine. Calm down." I purposefully didn't answer her question about making friends. The Cullens were the last thing I wanted to think about. I was with my family, and that was all that mattered.

"You can't blame us, Bells. We thought you might've gone Muggle on us." Ron spoke up for the first time. His comment made me scoff.

"Like I'd EVER go Muggle. I snuck the Nimbus out for a joyride almost every night." I winked at them, sending the girls into giggle fits.

"I swear, Dad would blow his top if he found out about that." I rolled my eyes at Ginny.

"Sure he would. But I erased everyone's minds earlier. If I went back, they'd think I was the new girl again." I shrugged it off, but Ginny still looked a bit worried.

"I think this calls for a Quidditch celebration." George elbowed me in the ribs.

"Don't get your hopes up, I beat ALL of you last time." Their expressions turned sour as we walked down the steps.

"Oh, you're just in time. Dinner's ready!" Mom called from the kitchen.

"Aww! C'mon, we were just about to play Quidditch, Mom!" Ron moaned, taking his seat at the table. My seat in between Uncle Remus and Aunt Tonks felt great to be in again. Sirius Black, my godfather, sat across from me, and his gaze fell upon me, and a slow smile spread across his face. I returned it whole-heartedly.

"It's dark. You can do that tomorrow." Mom used her wand to serve the chicken and ham pie, then the boiled potatoes. Ron, being himself, stuffed an entire potato in his mouth.

"Ronald, haven't you ever heard of chewing?" Hermione scolded him. I swear, she's more like a mother than Mom is sometimes.

"Chewing is overrated." Ron took another big bite.

"Have you ever heard of CHOKING?" Harry asked skeptically. Ron thought that over for a moment, and started chewing quickly. The food was great, and Aunt Tonks gave us all a laugh by changing her face and hair often. Once, she made her nose a pig's snout, and Ron laughed so hard, he spit food all over a very disgruntled-looking Hermione.

"Now, where's the dessert?" Fred piped up eagerly, receiving nods from almost everyone.

"I think we can solve that problem!" Everyone looked towards the door to see my older brother Bill and his (to my surprise) new girlfriend, Fleur Delacour, smiling down at us, holding a box.

"I heard a whisper that my little sister was coming home!" I ran up to Bill and hugged him. I hadn't seen him in God only knows how long, not even counting my absence. I had met Fleur before, and hugged her, too. She pecked my cheek swiftly while Bill gave hugs around to everyone else.

"What'd you bring?!" Nobody was surprised to hear Ron ask about food.

"Bouillabaisse." Fleur spoke up. Hermione and Ginny despised Fleur in the beginning, but the three got along great now. Everyone enjoyed the new dessert, and Ron looked bored out of his mind as Hermione droned on about their French history. The meal ended in a large talk, when I filled everyone in on my time in America. We shared laughs, happy talk, and good memories.

But I couldn't help but feel like someone was watching me.

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**Well, there's the first chapter for you all! I really enjoyed writing it, especially the dinner. It sounded so fun. Hope you enjoyed it, and keep reviewing! I want to know if I should continue or not! :D**

**P.S. Yes, I am fully aware BillxFleur aren't until the 5th year. But I got the idea about Bouillabaisse, and it was the only way it would really fit, since it's French and so is Fleur. So sending me messages about how I screwed it up won't do you any good. ;)**

**xoxo Ginny**


	2. Home Sweet Home

**Hi everybody! Sorry it's been so long, but every time I tried to log in, it said there was a technical glitch, and I didn't get it until this morning. Thanks SO much for reviewing! Reviews, for a writer, are like gas for a car. If you don't have any gas, you can't drive. If a writer doesn't have any reviews/feedback, they don't have the energy to write. But anywhooooo, here's the next chapter! Enjoy, and keep reviewing! :D**

**xoxo Ginny**

--------Chapter-----Two--------

The feeling that I was being watched continued, but I shrugged it off, thinking I was just paranoid.

After dinner, we all went back upstairs. Fred and George dared Ron to a Bernie Bott's Every Flavor Beans-eating contest, with Luna as the referee. Through our constant cheering, Ron won, to no one's surprise. Fred and George were about to show us some of the jokes they'd come up with when Mom came up.

"Time to turn in, kids." We all groaned and pouted, and she stared at us for a few moments.

"Can we stay in here tonight, Mom? Please?" Ginny, using her super awesome "I'm-your-little-baby" look.

"Fine. But don't stay up much later." We all cheered, changing into our pajamas. Ginny slept next to me in the bed, and Hermione slept on her other side. The twins took the floor under the window, and Ron took the window seat. Harry slept on my other side, so if I got out of bed, I'd be stepping on his face. It was pretty quiet, but none of us were sleepy. The twins soon broke that silence.

"Fred, I'm feeling rather rambunctious. What about you?" George feigned sadness.

"I know, George. I'm feeling the EXACT same way." I could hear that Fred was smiling in his reply, and Ginny giggled.

"Alright, what've you got?" I sat up in bed, as did Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and Harry.

"I say we use this bad boy." Fred dug around in his pockets, coming out with what appeared to be an ear on a white piece of string.

"Err...alright, then." Harry sounded confused, as we all were.

"This is the Extendable Ear. We can spy on basically anyone in the house!" We all ooh-ed and ahh-ed, and snuck out the door. Fred lowered it down to the kitchen, where we heard Mom and Dad murmuring.

"-And when Albus comes tonight-" Fred practically dragged the Ear back up.

"Dumbledore's coming?" Everyone turned to me, as they usually did.

"How should I know?" I crossed my arms, returning their stare.

"Well, he's probably coming to see you, right?" Of course it was Hermione who commented, always the observant one.

"Yeah, so? He's all of your grandfather, too." I leaned against the wall, gesturing to my brothers, sister and cousins.

"So, he's probably going to want to talk to you." Harry's voice was leaning towards the accusable side.

"And? Just to say welcome back, or something." Luna was about to speak when someone tapped on my shoulder, making me jump and gasp loudly.

"What are you doing up? Didn't Molly send you off to bed?" We all relaxed. It was just Sirius.

"Yes." I admitted slowly. Lucky for us, Sirius wasn't one to punish.

"Well, I'd get back, because she's heading up right now." We all turned to see Mom climbing the steps slowly, sending us dashing down the hall. I heard Sirius laughing behind us.

"That was close." Ginny muttered, getting in behind me.

"Of course it was! I knew we shouldn't have snuck out!" Everyone shot Hermione an "of-course-you-did" look, before pretending to sleep when the door cracked open. Mom peeked her head in, and, after seeing that we weren't awake, shut it. We waited until the sound of her footsteps faded before opening our eyes.

"I'm staying awake until Dumbledore comes. What about you lot?" Everyone nodded at Ron.

~Later~

Ron's snoring was droning out everyone else's calm breathing.

"I knew it." I muttered to myself. Lucky for me, I wasn't tired, so it was easy to stay awake. Turning on my side, I read the clock. 11:59. It was almost midnight, and Grandpa STILL wasn't there? I sighed, looking at my hands. The lighting changed, and the clock now read 12:00, followed by the sound of the front door.

"Hello, Molly." Grandpa's frail voice echoed through the house. I stepped over Harry and slowly peeked out into the hallway. Aunt Tonks, Uncle Remus, Bill, Fleur, Sirius, and the rest of the Order were in their rooms. I reached back inside and grabbed the Extendable Ear before tiptoeing over to the balcony, letting it fall just outside the kitchen door.

"Now, Albus, I know why you're here, and-" Mom started to talk.

"You think she's asleep. Knowing Bella, she's probably listening to our conversation right now." And before I could run away, Grandpa and Mom were staring up at me.

"Good evening, Bella." I sighed in relief. I was expecting to be scolded, or at the very least, sent back to bed.

"Hi, Grandpa." I waved sheepishly.

"You might as well come down, dear." Mom sighed. I slowly descended the steps, just then realizing that I was still in my pajamas.

"Where's Ronald?" I sat at the kitchen table, and began to feel the first symptoms of sleepiness.

"Sleeping like a boulder." Only Grandpa laughed at my joke. Mom just sat next to me, looking just as tired.

"How was Washington?" Grandpa sat across from me, looking as awake as could be. I knew better than to wonder why. He was very mysterious, even to us.

"Fine. I met some...interesting people." There was a certain sparkle in Grandpa's eyes that made me realize something was up that he didn't want me to know. I didn't dare ask what.

"Good. Now, will you be returning to Hogwarts this semester?" His question shook off all sleepiness, snapping me back to attention.

"Of course, Grandpa. Why wouldn't I?" He shrugged. Mom looked like she was about to fall asleep right there. Dad's snoring, coming from their room down the hall, wasn't really helping her.

"I don't know. You might just feel like taking a vacation." His next comment REALLY brought me to full attention.

"I just took one. And after that, I'm never taking another vacation in my forever seventeen-year-old life." This woke Mom up just enough for her to give me a worried look.

"What happened?" Her voice showed enough worry to show she was awake, but not with much energy.

"Nothing." I just shrugged it off. She still looked unconvinced, but left the subject alone.

"Well, I really must be off. I just stopped by to see how you were doing." Grandpa got up from the table and proceeded to the door.

"Bye." I muttered. Mom asking about Forks brought back some really painful memories, and I couldn't escape them. Grandpa left, and Mom went to her room, leaving me there. I was frozen, in a way, having Edward leave me over and over again in my mind. I'm not sure how long I sat there, but I do remember laying my head on the table, falling into a deep sleep.

"Bella! Bells, wake up!" Someone shook me, and I jerked awake. Luna was looking at me uneasily, like she was afraid I'd fall back asleep again.

"What time is it?" I muttered, searching the darkness around me.

"2:30 AM." She said calmly, sitting next to me.

"Why are you up?" I asked, putting my chin in my hands. I felt surprisingly rested.

"I always wake up early. Just an old habit, I suppose." Her soft voice rang in the darkness, and she leaned over, lighting a candle with her wand.

"Luna...if you were ever in a dangerous situation, what would you do?" I asked. The question had been stored in my mind since I met the Cullens. _He _had been right. Being around vampires wasn't the safest thing, especially because Lord Voldemort was sending some after me, along with werewolves, Death Eaters, and Dementors.

"I'd probably just trust my heart." Her words made me look up at her, a bit surprised.

"Why?" I'd never heard someone talk like that before.

"Because, your mind may give you smart advice, and your instincts may always seem right, but your heart knows what you care about the most. And if you listen to it, you'll always end up happy again." She kissed my cheek and skipped back up the stairs.

"She's right, you know." I looked up from the table to see Aunt Tonks leaning against the doorframe casually, fully dressed.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" I got up quickly.

"No, no, sit. It's my turn to stand guard for the Order." I relaxed and took my seat, and she took the one Luna was just in.

"You know, as much as I listen to MY instincts, my heart is where I listen to when someone I love is in danger. Your mind is for scheming, plotting. But you never fight with your instincts." We both knew what she was talking about; Voldemort. She obviously thought that was what I asked Luna about, too, and I was fine with that. The less any of my family knew about the Cullens, and what happened in Forks, the better.

"But what about when you aren't fighting? What if the one you love is dangerous?" I knew she would understand. Uncle Remus was Aunt Tonks' danger. He was a werewolf, but their love was still strong.

"You've seen me with Remus. If you truly love the person, you'll forget their flaws, ignore them completely. What really matters is how you feel about them in here." She pointed to my heart, and her hair turned to a light shade of violet. It was silent for a moment, before she kissed my hair and left, going outside to stand guard. Deciding I should get to sleep, I trudged up the stairs, still thinking about Luna and Aunt Tonks' words.

When I cracked the door open, no one was awake, so I stepped inside slowly, shutting the door as quietly as possible. After tiptoeing over Harry, I got under the covers, and fell asleep the second my head hit the pillow.

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**That chapter was rather emotional, yes? I want you all to LOOK OUT for Tonks' words later in the story, they are of VITAL IMPORTANCE. Haha, just kidding. But they are rather important, so keep your eyes peeled! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it. Keep reviewing! :D**

**P.S. The same applies to RemusxTonks as to BillxFleur. YES, I am aware that they don't become a couple until the 6th year. But like I said, it really fit into the emotional moment between Bella and Tonks, so I just put it in. Don't bite my head off about it. ;)**

**xoxo Ginny**


	3. Just My Bad Luck

**Hi everybody! Thanks SOOO much for reading my first fanfiction and giving it a chance. I know it started out a little boring, but I have some REALLY exciting stuff planned for later. Enjoy this chapter and keep on reviewing! :D**

**xoxo Ginny**

--------Chapter------Three--------

I woke up before the others did, and Ginny was up just minutes after me. We got dressed and waited until the others were up before heading downstairs.

"Morning, kids." Dad greeted us as we sat down at the table. They were surprisingly cheery.

"What's got you all giddy?" Ron asked suspiciously. There were a lot of reasons to be suspicious about when you were around Dad.

"Your mom, Moony, Ginny, you, Harry, Luna, Sirius and I are going to see some old friends today." He was close to bouncing in his seat as he addressed Ron.

"How come Bella and Hermione get to stay here?" Ginny complained. I was wondering the exact same thing.

"Well, we've got to have some people back here standing guard. And Bella and Hermione will be here for assistance." Dad's giddy tone down sided a little bit, but he perked back up again.

"Fine, who's the old friend?" Fred moaned, taking as big a bite of toast as Ron.

"Just someone from my young days." This time, everyone, even Sirius and Mom, moaned. Dad was ALWAYS reminiscing about his "young days".

"Oh, hush up. You'll like him. He used to be on the Irish National Team." That perked the twins up, at least, that was their favorite Quidditch team. But then Ron started a heated debate over which was better, Ireland or Bulgaria. **(A/N: Please forgive me if I spell that wrong lol) **I, on the other hand, was still a bit confused, but didn't bring it up.

Everyone finished breakfast, and I was left to face a very angry Ron.

"While I go off to see some Irish bum, you sit around here all day?!" He threw his hands in the air.

"Not my fault." I shrugged. He just stormed off to go complain for the umpteenth time. The feeling that I was being watched never faded, but I ignored it again. If a Death Eater was watching the house, wouldn't they have attacked already? And they'd be stupid to, anyway, with all the guards here and whatnot. I said goodbye to the ones who were leaving, and when they did, Hermione and I went out to the backyard.

"Alright, so you're positive that you're coming to Hogwarts this year?" Hermione asked when we sat on a bench in the garden.

"Of course! Why does everyone keep asking that?" I shrugged.

"Well, you've been a little...upset since you came home. I mean, you do a great job of hiding it, but we all know you've been unhappy." Just perfect. My family was getting closer and closer to finding out what happened in Forks.

"I just...just had a little bump in the road. But I'm fine now. I'm more glad to be home, though." My gaze fell on a little herb growing in the ground. It was silent now. Hermione and I, and on occasion, Luna, loved coming out here. It was a nice place to think, and be serene. The serenity was gone when the sound of an unfamiliar voice whispering was heard. Hermione and I were on our feet with our wands pointed in each direction in seconds.

"What was that?" Leave it to Hermione to get freaked out first.

"I have no idea." We lowered our wands a little. It was silent again.

"Is that Bella?" Another voice whispered. We raised our wands again. And I saw exactly who said it; they stared back.

"Hermione, go inside." My voice was hard and cold as ice.

"No, I'm not going to leave you out-" But I silenced her.

"Go inside." She stared at me for a second before running in the house.

"I see you. Just come out." I didn't lower my wand until I was absolutely sure I'd seen correctly. They did come out, but were still staring at me in what seemed to be shock.

"Bella?" I ignored the first one's comment, and the beings jumped when a loud pop came from behind me. I spun around to see Bill, Fleur, Uncle Remus and Aunt Tonks with their wands pointed at them.

"Hermione, I told you to go inside, not bring out the entire Order!" I hissed under my breath.

"I'm sorry, Bella, I couldn't let you handle this alone." Hermione had her own wand pointed at them, and she looked more afraid than defensive.

"Calm down, guys. I have this under control." I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Bella. Move." Bill spoke slowly.

"No." I crossed my arms.

"If you don't move, I might hit you." He was still talking slowly, like he was afraid to talk any faster.

"You won't be hitting anyone, Bill." I held my head higher as everyone, including the seven new visitors, stared at me like I was insane.

"And let you get killed?" Uncle Remus scoffed.

"Again; no one is getting killed today, Uncle Remus. Unless, of course, a Death Eater were to show up. Then you'd have full permission." I tried to keep my voice light, like Grandpa always did, but it still cracked a little.

"Bella, please come over here. Please." Hermione looked pained, but it still couldn't override the fear in her voice.

"Lower your wands." I shrugged. If they wanted me to obey, they'd have to.

"Bella, this is not the time for your-" Bill started, but I held up a hand.

"If you trust me, you'll lower your wands. That's all there is to it. You either trust me; or you don't." My words took them aback. I'd never spoke so calmly in a near-death situation. Or, that's what they thought it was.

"And let you fall into the hands of these-" But I stopped Aunt Tonks this time.

"Vampires? I'm aware." The Cullens were shocked that I was so casual in telling my family their secret.

"How did you know?" Fleur sounded more curious than alarmed.

"I know them. From Washington. They won't hurt us. Unless, of course, you hurt them first." My words took EVERYONE aback. They were probably wondering why I was so calm in the hands of seven people who could, very easily, kill me. My family finally obeyed, but they were at the ready for any sign of attack. Uncle Remus was still holding his wand, and I gave him a pleading look, sending my hair a very light shade of blue. I heard gasps from behind me, but ignored them.

"Uncle Remus." We stared at each other for what felt like hours before he finally let go. I turned back to the Cullens, who were still gawking at me.

"What are you doing here?" My voice was just as hard as it had been before.

"Bella...we had no idea-" But I stopped Edward's comment.

"That I was a witch? That's what I figured." My words silenced them for the briefest moment.

"We never would have left if-" But I stopped Alice this time.

"If you'd known? Tell me, Alice; if I wasn't standing here with a wand, would you be saying that?" I crossed my arms, and I felt the edges of my hair flaming. Literally. The Cullens took an uneasy step back.

"Bella, your temper." Hermione whispered in my ear. I struggled to turn it back to its natural red.

"Yes, we would. But this is just...so...different than we thought." Rosalie spoke this time. She hadn't taken her eyes of Fleur since she first showed up. She'd never seen anyone prettier than her, and it made me laugh internally.

"As in; you thought I was a fragile little human? I know. And I actually had plans to tell you, but then Edward over here did what he had to do." I glared at him, and my hair flamed again. No one dared remind me.

"Bella...I only left-" But my humorless laugh cut him off.

"You never loved me? I'm very much aware. Edward; you left me in that goddamn forest." My words caused Alice, Emmett and Rosalie to growl at him, and Aunt Tonks tightened her grip on her wand.

"I must say, though, the way you fawned over me like I was a breakable piece of jewelry was very funny; as I could kill you all without a second's notice. But I wouldn't. It's not even worth it." I wasn't talking to anyone but Edward then. My glare at been on him since he first stepped out of his hiding place.

"Bella, calm down. Your hair is starting to smoke." Aunt Tonks, always the first to snap out of anger, whispered in my ear, but I ignored her.

"And I couldn't be more happy to be back here with my family. That reminds me; what are you doing here?" My question was pointed at Alice this time.

"We're visiting an old friend of Carlisle's." I could tell she wasn't talking about me, thank God.

"Alright. What are you doing at my house?" They didn't respond.

"Spying on me? Watching me sleep? That reminds me of someone I used to know." I turned my gaze on Edward again, and a pained look flashed across his face.

"Hermione, would you be a dear cousin and help me put out my hair?" I asked, leading her around the house. Silently, she poured a cup of water and dumped it on my head. This used to be fun for me, as a child, but now it was downright cold.

"Bella, I'm so sorry." She hugged me briefly before we turned to see Uncle Remus trembling. We both knew what this trembling meant, and ran out as fast as our legs would carry us.

"Uncle Remus, you really need to calm down." I put a hand on his shoulder. The trembling didn't stop.

"Remus, calm yourself. You don't want another incident, do you? Arthur won't be happy." Aunt Tonks took his hand, and the trembling wasn't as bad. We all sighed and relief, and I turned to the Cullens, who were staring at me in confusion, shock, and I detected something that was similar to fear.

"Bella, we're so sorry for leaving." I laughed at Rosalie's comment, and my (now wet) hair fell in my eyes.

"Yeah? So was I. You'll learn to deal with it." I glared at Edward one more time before turning back to the others.

"Can we please just go inside now?" I snapped my fingers in front of Bill, who hadn't stopped glaring at Edward since he came outside. I sighed when no one responded.

"It's not even worth it. Our magic probably wouldn't affect them anyway." My voice held more annoyance than anything else. Fleur, Bill, Uncle Remus, and Hermione used an Apparition spell to get inside, but Aunt Tonks was looking at me oddly.

"I'll explain later." She stared at me for a few more seconds before she went inside, too. With one last look at the Cullens, I followed. And the feeling that I was being watched faded.

Finally.

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**Well, there's the first sighting of the Cullens for you! I had a lot of fun writing it. At first, I had an entire different plot for it, but a sudden burst of inspiration changed that. Anywhooooo, I hope you enjoyed it, and keep on reviewing! :D**

**~MAJOR~DEATHLY~HOLLOWS~SPOILER~ALERT~**

**I absolutely ADORE Tonks. When I read Deathly Hollows and read that she died, I screamed and threw the book at the wall. XD And if I could meet any other Harry Potter character (other than Ginny, Tonks, Ron, Luna, the twins, Dumbledore, and Lily Luna Potter) it would be Teddy. He's a little baby boy Tonks! :D**

**~END~OF~MAJOR~DEATHLY~HOLLOWS~SPOILERS~**

**P.S. The MOST FUN part of this chapter to write: when Remus started shaking. I was laughing SO hard when Tonks said, "You don't want another incident, do you?" I have no idea why, but it was hilarious to me.**

**P.S.S. YES, I am aware that werewolves in Harry Potter don't morph just anytime. But I thought it would be kinda funny.**

**xoxo Ginny**


	4. Owls and Arguments

**Hey everybody! Thanks for reviewing so far. I never thought a story like this could get so popular so fast. But, hey, it did. I'll stop my babbling and let you get on with the chapter! XD Enjoy, and keep reviewing! :D**

**P.S. I forgot: this story is set in late August. I'm gonna say that the present day in this chapter is August 31st.**

**P.S.S. I know that seventeen-year-olds are in their 7th year/out of Hogwarts. Let's just drop that for now. The immortal gang (Bella, Harry, Ron, Hermione, the HP gang) is still in their fourth year. PROCEED! Lol.**

**xoxo Ginny**

--------Chapter-----Four--------

"Bella, you have some explaining to do." Bill followed me as I walked around the house aimlessly. I had been TRYING to shake off the earlier confrontation, but NO, Bill just HAD to be the over-protective big brother.

"Nothing you need to worry yourself with, Bill. I told you all I could handle it by myself, and I did. End of story." I did a U-turn and tried to lose him, but he just stood in front of me.

"So you're saying you met vampires in Forks, Washington?" His voice held more suspicion than anger now.

"Sure. Isn't it obvious?" I tried to be sarcastic, but my voice cracked halfway through. The feeling I was being watched returned. "And they're still watching the house, just so you know." Bill took out his wand and stormed to the door, but I grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the nearby sofa.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Our magic probably wouldn't even work on them. And if I see you touch one hair on any of their heads, you'll be dead by morning." I lowered my voice at the end, and started messing around with an antique on a shelf across the room. Bill followed, not to my surprise.

"And why not? You should hate that Edward kid for breaking your heart! You're only seventeen once, Bella." I scoffed at his remark.

"Actually, I'm seventeen for all eternity. Why should I let a little bump in the road get me down? I've got Hogwarts to look forward to." I admired a picture of Harry, Ron and Hermione at a Quidditch World Cup game absentmindedly, trying to hide the lie in my statement.

"A little bump in the road? Bella, your hair started smoking. It hasn't done that since Draco Malfoy called Hermione a Mudblood last year!" I rolled my eyes and turned to face my brother, not hiding the annoyance in my glare.

"And? They made me mad. I'm over it." I walked into the kitchen, ignoring the uneasy stares from the rest of my (present) family, and changed the subject. "When are the others coming back?" It was Bill's turn to scoff.

"Sometime tonight. You know how Dad gets with his 'younger days' talks." Everyone rolled their eyes and I took my seat.

"Hey, Bella, Fred and George have a trunk upstairs that keeps squirming, and Molly says you and Hermione should go investigate." Sirius said in a calm tone, flipping open the _Daily Prophet_. Uncle Remus whistled casually, taking a leftover piece of Bouillabaisse. Bill was staring at us, looking dumbfounded.

"How can you all be so calm? Vampires just came here!" He threw his hands in the air. Sirius put down the paper, looking annoyed.

"Bella handled it. It's over with; a thing of the past." I nodded, and thanked Sirius for pointing out the obvious.

"Yes, but she said they're still watching the house! Doesn't that make you just the slightest worried?!" I groaned, and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Bill, calm down. They're harmless; only hunt animals. What did you think they would do, show up on the doorstep, asking for dinner?" I rolled my eyes and started playing with my fingernails.

"What if You-Know-Who sent them?" I rolled my eyes at Bill's hushed tone.

"Get over it, Bill. His name's Voldemort." I ignored everyone's shudders. "I know them. If anyone sent them, it's Edward. He's a stubborn one, too. They won't be leaving for a long while." Bill slammed his fist on the table and stood up.

"You get to go off to Hogwarts, though; you won't even be here until Christmas! So are you saying we'll have to put up with a coven of vampires spying on us for a year?!" Fleur tried to calm him down, but was unsuccessful.

"No. They'll most likely follow me to Hogwarts, anyway. It's me they want, not you! You'll be vampire-free for the year. So calm down." Everyone except Bill nodded at my words.

"Oh, well that's comforting, seven vampires following my baby sister for a year! I say we get Grandpa and sort this out." He put his hands on his hips and looked down on me. He knows how I hate when people look down on me, and I stood up.

"I've been with them for months, Bill! I've been in their home for MONTHS, and they haven't even touched me!" I tried to hide the lie. Only one of them dared to touched me...but I shook my head, freeing myself from the thought.

"Yes, Bella, but they were surrounded by Muggles! Touching you would only expose themselves! Everyone knows about vampires in our world, they have nothing to worry about but which side of your neck they'll suck from first!" His words silenced the room for the time being.

"They saved my life, Bill!" My words hushed the room even more.

"Wait...what?" He lowered his tone to a whisper now, and the room still rang from our yelling.

"A vampire named James came after me." I lifted my arm and showed the room my crescent-moon scar, and Uncle Remus took my hand, examining it.

"How are you not a-" But I cut him off.

"Edward sucked the venom out." I turned back to Bill. "So those vampires you were just infuriated with saved my life. Without them there; I would've died." He looked up at me with slightly softer eyes.

"You hate them, too, you know. It's not like I'm the only one." He crossed his arms.

"I have my reasons, and none of you need to know them." Everyone exchanged glances. "Look, I'm not trying to start a war here. Voldemort is coming after me, we have bigger things to worry about than the Cullens." Everyone seemed to understand.

"She's right, Bill. We should be worrying about Death Eaters watching the house, not harmless vampires." Sirius stood up. "It's my turn to stand guard, anyway." And with that, he left the room. Bill was about to say something more when an owl flew through the open window, and dropped a letter in my lap, landing lithely on the shelf. I noticed the feeling I was being watched faded.

"Who's it from?" Aunt Tonks read over my shoulder as I opened it.

_Isabella,_

_How's it going, classmate? How's life treating you? Of course, I shouldn't expect it to be fine. Having no money must not be good. I wouldn't know, but one can always guess. Mind putting a good word in with Dumbledore? Father wants a favor, and asked me to butter him up. Something about new protection for the school._

_Draco_

"Why would Draco Malfoy write to you, Bella?" Bill took a long drink of water.

"He asked me to soften up Grandpa, apparently, his dad needs a favor or something." Everyone exchanged uneasy looks.

"What could Lucius Malfoy want from him?" Uncle Remus started pacing the room.

"He said it has something to do with new protection for Hogwarts." I passed him the letter, and he read it carefully, like it was a bomb.

"I think we should contact him about this." He said determinedly.

"We shouldn't worry him, Remus. He's got a lot on his mind these days, worthless scum like the Malfoys are nothing to get worked up about." Aunt Tonks finally spoke up.

"Need I remind you their background?" Uncle Remus stopped pacing for the briefest moment.

"They came back to our side in the end, Uncle Remus." Bill crossed his arms.

"Yes, but they were on You-Know-Who's side. It doesn't matter where you are now, once you go over to the Dark side, you never go back. We all know that." Everyone seriously considered that for a moment.

"If Grandpa trusts them, I do, too." I got stares questioning my sanity from everyone but Aunt Tonks.

"We should listen to her. Albus knows who's good, and if he trusts the Malfoys, we should, too. We are his family, after all." Bill, Fleur, and Hermione (who had been mute this whole time) nodded.

"They were DEATH EATERS! You can't just become good after generations of evil!" Uncle Remus shifted the weight from one leg to the other.

"What about Snape? He's been working with Dumbledore since You-Know-Who's downfall, Uncle Remus." Hermione FINALLY spoke. I was beginning to think she'd gone mute or something.

"He works under Albus' gaze every day, there's no way for him to do any bad with him around." Uncle Remus had a point. Hermione was the only one of us kids with a shred of respect for Snape. The discussion continued until the others came home, and it picked up from where it left off. And my night was VERY stressful.

~At~Malfoy~Manor~ (Nobody's POV)

"Are you sure you sent it to Isabella?" Lucius Malfoy asked his son for the umpteenth time.

"Yes, I'm positive. Why do you keep asking that?" Draco asked, annoyed.

"She hasn't responded yet, and she NEEDS to get to Dumbledore before me. It's the only way for our plan to work." Lucius enthused, drumming his fingers together.

"Father, let's not blame her. It's not her fault she can't afford parchment." Draco's snigger was silenced by a severe glare from Lucius.

"This is serious, Draco! How do you ever expect to follow in my footsteps if you can't take anyone seriously?" Lucius threw his hands in the air.

"You're overreacting. I'm sure she's with the old coot right now, buttering him up for us. She's not THAT smart." Draco rolled his eyes.

"She's got perfect marks, and she's Dumbledore's granddaughter, for God's sake! You don't NOT inherit such wisdom from someone such as Albus Dumbledore! That's where you come in." Draco was at attention instantly. He knew this plan was coming from someone much greater than him or his father. "You need to distract her. Find her weakness. Dumbledore will fawn over his dearest granddaughter, block out the world. Just what we need." Draco nodded. It was truly an excellent plan, but he still had nerves. He wouldn't admit it to his father, though.

"Are you sure I have to take this on? Why not Aunt Bellatrix? Or Fenrir? Or you, even?" Young Draco tried to keep the fear from trickling into his voice, but his father noticed.

"Are you AFRAID, Draco?" Lucius stood up and approached his son, who was trying not to look intimidated.

"Of-of course not! Why would I be?" His father eyed him for a moment before taking his seat again.

"Good. Then you won't have any problem hurting little Isabella, yes?" His words froze Draco. In his first year, he confessed his love for Isabella. He even offered her a spot in Slytherin, and even as a Death Eater, but she remained true to her family. Young Draco was heartbroken, and he only showed her hate. But he'd always truly loved her. **(A/N: sound familiar? *cough* SNAPE FOR LILY *cough* Ok, well, part of it.) **Hurting her was the last thing on his To-Do list.

"I have to hurt her?" He regretted the words as soon as they left his tongue.

"Of course! You have to find her weakness, crumble her to dust. It's the only way to distract Dumbledore. You don't have a problem with hurting her, right?" Lucius rose from his seat again. Draco took a deep breath before speaking again.

"No, sir." His voice was quieter than he'd wished. Lucius glared him for a minute before sitting again. Although being evil was in his blood, he was willing to turn good if it won over Isabella.

And now he had no chance.

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**Well, that was rather dramatic, yes? I was going to end it when the others came back from visiting Arthur's "friend", but I had a sudden burst of inspiration for the part about Lucius and Draco. I also have a bit about Narcissa and Bellatrix that I want to add in later. Anywhooooo, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Keep on reviewing! :D**

**xoxo Ginny**


	5. I Hate Being Late

**Hi everybody! Thanks for reading and reviewing and whatnot. You ROCK. I'm actually feeling rather rambunctious, I just tried to do an American accent...it did NOT end well. Why the hell do you Americans call chips FRIES?! Our chips are your fries, and your chips are our crisps. For example, here in America, I'd buy a bag of Lay's potato chips, and back home in London, I'd get a bag of Lay's potato crisps. TOO MANY DIFFERENCES!!! Anywhooooo, I'll stop my ranting and YOU read on! XD**

**P.S. CHANGES!! They're in their FIFTH YEAR. I repeat, FIFTH YEAR. AGAIN: FIFTH YEAR!!!!! :)**

**xoxo Ginny**

--------Chapter-----Five--------

"Bella! Bella! Bella! Bella! WAKE UP!" Ginny dashed into my room and started bouncing on the bed, waking me up. I immediately felt the presence of someone watching me, and my mood downed just the slightest.

"Oh my God...what happened? Where's the fire?" I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes as Ginny practically catapulted herself off of me.

"WE'RE LEAVING TODAY!" She sang, skipping through the house. I was surprised that no one had stopped her. But, truth be told, I was just as excited. It was the day we left for Hogwarts, and I couldn't be happier. Sure, Forks High had some happy times, but Hogwarts was the only school for me. I would see all my friends again.

"Ginny, calm down! Some of us are trying to get ready!" Hermione called from her room next door. There were a lot of footsteps on the hardwood floor, and Hermione was in my room in seconds.

"Come on, Bella! Why aren't you up yet?" She practically threw me my suitcase and started throwing things inside it. And by things, I mean books.

"You know, Hermione, I might want to bring something other than books. Like, oh, I don't know...clothes. Maybe a hairbrush or two." I got up and got dressed, and when I came out, she had my suitcase sitting with everyone else's.

"Can't believe it's that time again! The summer's gone by too fast!" Mom was scatter-brained, just like she always was on departure day.

"Where's Ron?" I asked Luna, who was sitting by the door, looking completely calm amongst the worry and excitement.

"He's waiting for you outside. He said there was something you needed to see." I thanked her and went out into the warm air. It was surprisingly hot for as early in the morning it was. The sun wasn't even out yet.

"Ron?" I called, looking around. When no one answered, I went around the back of the house to see him peering around like he was afraid he'd get caught.

"Alright, what've you done now?" When he didn't answer, I turned angry. "Did Fred and George hide your underwear AGAIN?" He looked embarrassed at my comment.

"Shut it, Bella! Nobody can hear this." He gestured for me to come closer, and I did.

"Apparently, Grandpa's got high security this year. He's even gotten some people from the States to come out." I rolled my eyes at his statement.

"Oh, please. I'll bet this is just one of the Malfoys' tricks to get us riled up. Hogwarts is perfectly safe." I scoffed, but Ron just paled even more.

"No, really! Look!" He handed me the _Daily Prophet_, and I started to read the headline.

_**Hogwarts On New Security**_

_Our sources tell us that Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of the infamous Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has beefed up the security. When asked about the new addition, he claimed he'd brought an old friend from the Midwest to help with the protection of his school, but even more importantly, his family._

"See what I mean! Someone's told the whole world that we need protection or something!" Ron's voice was hardly a whisper.

"But why would he say we need protection? We live with the Order of the Phoenix!" I sat against the brick wall of the house, and Ron sat next to me. People always told us we looked exactly alike, but we weren't even identical twins.

"I reckon we know someone who would be able to answer that." We exchanged the same thought. Hermione was the one to turn to in the thoughts department.

"Give me a boost." I stood up, and Ron looked at me like I was insane.

"Why can't you just go inside and get her?" He looked fearful for his head.

"You just said no one can hear this! If I go inside, at least six people will want to know what happened." We stared at each other for a minute before he finally groaned in defeat, holding out his hands. I stepped on them, and he lifted me up to Hermione's window, still whimpering.

"Shut up!" I hissed. I knocked on the window, but no one replied, so I cracked it open.

"Hermione! Hey, you in here?" I whispered. It was silent for a moment before she walked in the door and nearly screamed.

"What are you doing there?!" She ran over to the window seat and sat down.

"Hey, take a look at what Ron found in the _Daily Prophet_." She took the paper and started reading.

"Did you give it to her yet?" Ron's voice sounded from under my feet.

"Yes. Stop your whining." He didn't stop. And I kicked what felt like his fingers. He shut up.

"Oh my God! Why would he do this? It's completely, utterly uncalled for!" She exclaimed, outraged.

"Shh! We can't let anyone else hear." She understood, and Harry, Ginny, Luna, and the twins came in.

"What's with all the noise?" Harry sat down next to Hermione.

"So much for keeping it private." She muttered, handing them the paper. Their reactions mirrored hers.

"I'm rather excited. Aren't you?" Ginny perked up.

"Why should we be excited?" Harry asked distastefully.

"That means we'll be able to explore a lot more. We won't be as restricted. Of course, none of us have ever really worried about being restricted..." Everyone but Ron laughed. He let out a big groan.

"Get off, Bella! My hands are about to snap in half!" I rolled my eyes and hopped down. Ron started rubbing his hands and glared at me. "Next time, I get to go up!"

"Please, Ron. You weigh a ton, if you got on me, I'd-" But I was cut off when Mom stuck her head out of her window.

"Aren't you ready for breakfast?" She was always worried about being late. It was only 7 AM, we didn't have to be there until 10:30. Everyone was awake, not to my surprise. What DID surprise me was that Ron wasn't eating.

"What? I'm nervous. Who wouldn't be?" He asked defensively.

"I wouldn't! You worry too much." I took a big bite of toast.

"Well how can I eat, anyway, after you've broken my hands." I just rolled my eyes again. Breakfast went by fairly quickly, Mom re-read everyone's checklists for the umpteenth time.

"Are you sure you've got your new robes, Bella?" She called after me as I walked outside.

"Yes!" I called back, annoyed.

"Bella, are you coming?" Ginny asked, taking my hand. And with that, we left for King's Cross. We were on the platform too soon for my liking.

"Be safe, dears!" Mom enveloped me in a too-tight hug.

"Calm down. We'll be fine. Not like Grandpa had any problem making sure of that one." She ignored Ron's grumbles.

"Now, Ron, I packed some corned beef in your bag." Everyone laughed at Ron's sour expression.

"Mom, how many times do I have to tell you, I don't like corned beef!" He stomped his foot like the two-year-old he was.

"You're lucky you got anything at all. Now be safe, and don't let Fred and George get to your underwear again." Everyone laughed harder as the twins stepped up.

"Behave yourselves. If I get one more letter about you defacing your brother..." She didn't even finish her threat.

"Of course, of course. We would never want to hurt little Ronnie." Fred pretended like he was putting his arm around Ron's shoulders, but choked him in a death grip instead.

"Ginny, dear, make sure you stay close to your sister. We wouldn't want a repeat of your first year, would we?" Ginny blushed at the comment and took her place at my side, taking my hand. Mom said her farewells, and we got on the train. She waved us off as the train sped out of the station.

"I really MUST look into this..." Hermione read over the article in the _Daily Prophet _for the hundredth time.

"Really, Hermione, there's nothing to look into. Just go talk to him." Harry said simply.

"Yes, but it says here that he's going to use one of us to help out the new security." That caught and held everyone's attention, and they read over my shoulder as I took the paper from her.

_The professor has announced that he intends to appoint one of his own grandchildren, also students at Hogwarts, to assist his new employees. No word has been said if these helpers are Ministry-approved or not, but Dumbledore says he 'isn't in need of Mr. Fudge's approval on his own school'. Are we detecting a fight? Find out in tomorrow's issue!_

"Which one of us do you think he's going to pick?" Ron asked, more to himself.

"Well, as far as good looks go," Harry flipped out his hair. "I think we know who'll take the cake."

"Please, Harry, it's alright if you're jealous of my looks. Nothing to be ashamed of." Everyone rolled their eyes at the boys, who were now in a heated argument over who looked better.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Dumbledore gang." We all looked up to see Malfoy and his so-called "friends" in the doorway of our compartment.

"What is it, Malfoy? We're busy." I shot him a glare.

"That reminds me, have you talked to Dumbledore yet?" His voice was now more alert, and Hermione and Harry exchanged a suspicious glance.

"No, I haven't." His eyes turned hard, and he paled, just adding to our suspicion. "If it's about the new security, we don't know anything, either."

"Well, Father doesn't think it's necessary, and him and his mates are trying to change it." He started to turn away.

"Oh, you mean his Death Eater pals?" He froze and turned back slowly at Ron's remark.

"Look, Weasley, I don't think you all should be talking about my father like that." We all just rolled our eyes. "Oh, is grandpa's favorite rebelling?" I turned to glare at him.

"At least I'm not a Mama's Boy. That reminds me, where is Mommy? Making you cookies?" Even Crabbe and Goyle cracked a grin at my comeback.

"I wouldn't talk if I was you, Isabella." He stared at me lustfully before turning and sauntering out.

"God, what a piece of-" Ron started to mutter, but was cut off by Ginny.

"Hey, Bella, have you heard of Dolores Umbridge?" She pointed to a picture of a woman in all pink.

"No." We read the article about her.

"She's our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Harry looked revolted.

"Apparently. This is rather exciting, isn't it?" Hermione grinned.

"No! We have some daffodil teaching us how to fight off Death Eaters!" Ron crossed his arms and pouted.

"No, Ronald. It's exciting because we've got a teacher that's Ministry-approved! No man with two faces, werewolves, nothing! Just a normal witch. Unless, of course, you'd like a spider as a teacher." Everyone laughed at Ron's horrified expression.

"That's not funny, Hermione! You know how they scare me." Everyone laughed harder as he shuddered. We all stopped when Lavender Brown started staring through the glass in our compartment. She was staring at Ron, who looked like he could throw up.

"What's with Lavender Brown?" He whispered uneasily. Hermione was glaring at her menacingly.

"No idea. She looks like she could kiss you, though." This made Hermione's glare even more menacing. I'm not sure if anyone else could tell, but I knew Hermione liked Ron. Most people would be freaked out by it, but I thought of it sort of like the Cullens, she was more like an adopted cousin than a blood relative.

"Let's just forget her." Hermione shot me a grateful look out of the corner of her eye. The ride went by quickly, and soon, we were sitting in our usual spots in the Great Hall.

"Ronald, would you STOP eating!" Hermione hissed, putting her chin in her hands.

"Why? I'm hungry." He took another big bite.

"There's going to be a special announcement soon." We all turned to the teacher's table, and Grandpa stood up at his podium. Right when he started to speak, though, I remembered something.

"I'll be right back." I whispered to my family before dashing out. Nobody except them (and Luna, at the Ravenclaw table) saw me, thankfully. I made my way up the stairs and smiled at the Fat Lady when she gawked at me.

"Bella, you're back this year! Everyone else was saying you wouldn't return!" My smile faded for a moment, but I plastered a fake one back on.

"Nice to see you, too." Then I realized I didn't have the password. "Would you mind telling me the password? I haven't gotten it yet." She smiled at me reassuringly. None of the portraits, teachers, or even the ghosts, for that matter, thought I'd do anything bad, having a grandfather like mine. It was an upside, though, no one ever accused me of anything. Alright, that's half-true.

"It's Droobledoors this year. Came up with it myself, I did." She grinned proudly as the portrait hole swung open and I climbed inside. I wasn't surprised to see that it was empty, and I ran up the steps to the girl's dormitory. My bed was as I'd left it, and I immediately dove under it, pulling out what I really wanted; my invisibility cloak. I was originally going to take it to Forks, but the Order thought it would be too risky. I'd missed it terribly, and threw it over my shoulders, just to feel the tingling I always got when invisible.

I was suddenly lighthearted, just like I used to feel as a kid with this thing. And there was only one thing I intended to do: use it. I climbed out of the porthole and practically skipped down the hall, but stopped when a thought hit me. I'd already missed the "special announcement", and if it was really special, I'd need to know it. I headed off to Grandpa's office, figuring it was the best source. After whispering the oh-so-secret password and riding up, I shoved open the big oak door and dropped the cloak.

"Sorry, I'm late, Grandpa, but I-" But I stopped talking when my eyes met the pair of golden ones I never wanted to see again.

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**Well, there's the famed "return to Hogwarts"! I was originally going to keep going from the last sentence, but when I saw that I'd written six pages, I figured it was time to stop. Sorry for such an exciting cliffhanger, but I NEED more reviews! Sure, I got over a hundred favorite story/story alerts, but come ON, people, reviews are what makes my day! If I can't get more, I might as well just delete the thing! :D**

**xoxo Ginny**


	6. Reading IS Important!

**Hi everybody! I think the last chapter got pretty fair reviews. I know you all were ticked about the cliffhanger, but I wrote EIGHT PAGES!!! Plus, my laptop was dying and I could have lost it if I didn't save it quick. XD But here's the next chappie! Keep reviewing! :)**

**P.S. I needed to switch things up a bit for something around page 3 (you won't know what page exactly, but I will. Oh, you'll just read it later!). This is set in 2005. PROCEED! XD**

**xoxo Ginny**

--------Chapter-----Six--------

"Bella, I'd like you to meet Carlisle Cullen and his family." Grandpa was sitting behind his desk casually.

"What are YOU doing here?" I asked angrily as my hair started flaming again.

"Temper, temper, Bella. Really, hasn't Nymphadora taught you how to control that at all?" He was still casual after my outburst. The Cullens' emotions ranged from looking like they could faint (Edward and Carlisle) to pure excitement (Alice, Emmett, and Esme).

"Bella?" Edward asked carefully, like he thought I'd explode. I was pretty convinced I would, too.

"I see you all have met." Grandpa stood up, finally showing an emotion other than complete calm.

"Yes, we have, and I think I'm going to go throw myself off Gryffindor tower." I turned to leave, but Grandpa just called after me. Groaning, I turned back around on my heel. Edward was looking like he was ready to catch me if I'd jumped off, and I rolled my eyes. The flame had died to that of a torch, just sort of...sitting there. No one moved until I finally put it out.

"Good. Now that that's taken care of, I'd like you to see your trainees." My expression turned as sour as a lemon.

"What?! Why can't Ron or Harry do it?" I moaned. I knew I sounded like a four-year-old, but I didn't even care.

"Well, as you all know each other, it should be much easier." I gave him a drained look.

"Easier? Did he even tell you what happened?" Edward's expression turned sour, too.

"Bella, I-" But I stuck a hand up.

"Really, Bella. In fact, why don't you give them a tour of the castle?" I suddenly felt the urge to punch somebody. Or throw up. That would be a good escape, actually...

"Fine." I groaned, turning to the door. But I stopped, grinning, a finger in the air. "Why don't we start with the dungeons? Old Snape would LOVE visitors!" My idea was great until Edward looked at me uneasily.

"How about the Great Hall?" I knew Grandpa wasn't just giving a suggestion, and sighed.

"Fine. Let's go." I hardly acknowledged their presence as I kicked a pebble out of my way in the corridor.

"Bella, why are you here?" Rosalie asked, finally breaking the silence.

"I should ask you all the same question!" I retorted, spinning on my heel to face them. I was sure my hair had hit Edward, and was completely unapologetic.

"We're visiting an old friend of Carlisle's, just like I said." Alice actually sounded QUIET.

"You could have told me it was my grandfather!" This made everyone gasp, and I rolled my eyes again.

"Bella, we had no idea! That's so amazing!" Alice looked like she could hug me, but knew better than to actually do it.

"Amazing? I'd have picked another word. It starts with 's' and ends with 't', and I'm fairly sure it isn't in Edward's vocabulary." We were in the Great Hall now.

"This is awesome!" Emmett apparently thought his echo was spectacular.

"Yeah, well, this isn't even the half of it." My voice was a dead, unexcited monotone that would make Alice's voice sound like God's compared to the devil's.

"Bella, can I talk to you for a moment?" I was snapped harshly back into reality by Edward's words. Was he TRYING to make me go on a rampage? Was he TRYING to make me pull out my wand and use a curse just as unforgivable as him?

"Whatever." I strolled in an uncaring way to the corner, far enough away that his family couldn't hear. "What do you want?"

"I didn't mean to make you fight with your family." I kept playing with my fingers, but paused for a moment.

"You didn't make me fight with anybody." I struggled to keep my voice just as dead as before.

"I saw that argument you had with your brother the other day, after we showed up." I sighed, more out of annoyance that he spied on me than anything else.

"That...that was just playful banter." I started to turn away, but he grabbed my arm.

"Bella, that wasn't playful banter." He looked down on me disapprovingly.

"Who are you, my mother? We had a fight, so what? He's my brother, fighting is what we do." He tried to reach out for me again, but I jerked my arm out of the way and walked back to his family.

"Let's move out." We walked out of the Great Hall and I showed them a few classrooms.

"This is so COOL!" Alice squeaked from behind me. I just snorted and lead them back up to the traitor's office. I wasn't as mad at Grandpa as I was with the Cullens, though.

"They've been shown around. Can I leave yet?" I plopped down in a chair nearby, pinching the bridge of my nose. I'd been doing that a lot lately. He was about to answer when Ron walked in.

"Bella, where have you been?" His gaze fell on the Cullens, and his expression downed a bit.

"Okay, well it hasn't been fun catching up, so bye!" I grabbed Ron and made a mad dash down the corridor until they couldn't hear me anymore.

"What's up, you lunatic?" Ron demanded as we slowed to a walk.

"I'll tell you what. The protection is THEM. And now I have to be the one to 'assist' them. I bet Edward planned this." I crossed my arms.

"Why is it always YOU who gets the fun stuff?" Ron moaned. I gave him a look that was clearly questioning his sanity.

"You think this is FUN?" My voice was loud.

"While you get to help out a bunch of friendly vampires, I get to sit in the common room with Hermione, who nearly lost her mind, worried about you?" We had reached the portrait hole, and he muttered the password. I was about to talk when a bush of hair got in my mouth.

"Bella, I'm so glad you're alright!" Hermione was clinging onto me like she was being dangled off a cliff.

"Where did you think I was?" I asked when she finally let go.

"I don't know, you could've been attacked or something." I laughed at the comment.

"Oh, I wish. It would have been a million times better to have Fenrir Greyback kill me than to have to repeat that experience." I sank into an armchair. It felt nice to be back in the common room again.

"Why? What happened? Did you meet the new protection?" Ginny asked excitedly, sitting on the couch next to me.

"It's the Cullens." My words took them all aback for a second, and I wasn't surprised that Hermione was the first to snap out of it.

"Of course! It only makes sense! Vampires are incredibly strong, fast, and agile! The perfect protection for such a large school!" She started pacing, mumbling to herself.

"We don't need protection, that's just it! I think the Cullens should just go back to Washington." I crossed my arms stubbornly.

"I'm starting to see the necessity in this." I buried my face in my hands at Harry's comment. Was this Pick on Bella day?

"Of course you are. Why wouldn't you?" I moaned.

"Bella, I think you're becoming blinded by spite, here. They could really help us. That doesn't mean you have to like them, but they're going to be around for a long time." Hermione was in her Mom-mode now. I sighed, defeated. She was right. No matter how hard I tried, the Cullens were going to be in my life. They knew my secret. They knew my family! That brought up a question that I knew Hermione would be able to answer.

"Do you remember what Grandpa was doing in the early 1900s?" I asked, looking into her eyes. If she could tell me, I'd have an answer to my biggest question.

"From what I remember, he was traveling the Midwest. Why?" It was times like these when I was grateful that Hermione had no clue what she was saying.

"Oh, nothing. Just a bit curious." I was deep in thought for the whole night as the other Gryffindors welcomed me. Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny played wizard chess for a long time, and the twins were off trying to convince some first-years to eat their homemade candy. Ron already made that mistake, and was convincing them otherwise.

"I really do think we should be off to bed. We've got a long day of classes tomorrow." Hermione finally said after Harry pummeled Ron in wizard chess for the millionth time.

"Alright. Anything to get away from this air head." Ron muttered, throwing a pillow at Harry. He dodged it, and it hit Dean Thomas in the face instead. The girls escaped upstairs before their massive fight erupted. Hermione and Ginny seemed to fall asleep instantly, but I lay there, awake. My mind was still buzzing with new questions and only a few answers from what Hermione told me.

From what we know, Grandpa (anywhere from 37 to 39, at the time) was traveling the Midwest in the early 1900's. And from what I know, Edward was bitten in the early 1900's. So Carlisle and Grandpa must've met somewhere between Edward's changing and Alice's changing, a two-year difference. That meant they'd known each other for 87 years total. Grandpa knew about the Cullens for 87 years, and Carlisle knew about wizards for 87 years.

The time ticked by, but I never fell asleep. Never even grew sleepy. When the bedside clock finally turned to midnight, I figured I'd had enough. Digging around under the bed, I pulled my invisibility cloak back out, throwing it over myself. After about 20 minutes of walking, I finally made it to the library. Never in my life had I thought of the place as anything more than Hermione's second home, but now it was like an unrestricted chamber of excitement.

I made my way through the aisles, browsing, until I found a book titled _Albus Dumbledore: the True Spirit of Hogwarts_. Did people really think of him like that? I shrugged it off and sat it down at a table nearby, holding back a cough at all the dust that flew up when it fell open. Nothing particularly new or interesting came up until about halfway through, when it started describing his younger years.

_In 1917, Dumbledore continued his journey through the American West coast. After several encounters with wizards galore, he befriended vampire Carlisle Cullen and his small coven in 1918. They were to, originally, come with him back to England, but these changes planned when Mary Alice Brandon and Jasper Whitlock joined the clan in the fifties, causing a distraction for both Dumbledore and Cullen._

Causing a distraction. A distraction from coming HERE. So Edward hadn't planned this at all. This whole 'coming to Hogwarts' deal was sealed in the nineties. I sat back in my seat, feeling a mix of relief, comfort, and just a little bit of confusion.

"Bella?" I jumped high enough that I could've hit the top of the bookshelf, the silence had gone so suddenly. I turned to see who'd called me, and relaxed when I saw it was just Edward. Wait... JUST Edward?

"What are you doing in here?" I whispered, struggling to see through the darkness. I finally dug around in my bathrobe pocket and found my wand, whispering "Lumos". The aisle was just illuminated enough to see him.

"What are you doing awake? You do know it's midnight, right?" His voice was a little louder than a whisper, and I shushed him.

"Yes, I'm aware." I snapped, pushing the heavy book back on the shelf.

"Bella, you're so...different." I laughed humorlessly at his comment.

"Really? I hadn't noticed. Was it the wand or my hair?" I faced him, crossing my arms.

"Everything. You were so...fragile. Breakable. And now, you're-" I cut him off mid-sentence.

"Able to kill you in two seconds? Edward, it would take you at least an hour to kill me." He looked a bit uneasy, and I snorted. "Exactly."

"This is so much to take in so soon." He started looking around the room, but his gaze fell on me again.

"Yeah, well, you'll get used to it. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got classes tomorrow." I threw the cloak over me and made my way out, speeding down the corridor. After silently stepping through the portrait hole, I dashed up the stairs and into the girls' dormitory. Everyone was still asleep, thankfully. This time, I fell asleep before my head even hit the pillow.

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**Well, there you go! Curious Bella goes to the library at midnight. This chapter seemed a little unimportant around the end, but it'll play a bigger part later. Anywhooooo, I hope you enjoyed it! Keep reviewing! :D**

**xoxo Ginny**


	7. Trainees

**Hiya! Sorry it's been so long since I've updated, but I went to my cousin's Harry Potter birthday party. I got a Ron Weasley cutout...*sigh*. So cute... I might've kissed it once... or twice... or three times. *cough* OR TWELVE TIMES *cough*. Anywhooooo, here's the next chap for all you HP/T fans! ONNNNNWAAAAAAAARRRRRDDDD! XDDD**

**xoxo Ginny**

--------Chapter-----Seven--------

"Rise and shine, girls!" Hermione cheered, waking us up. She shook me a little, and I rolled over.

"Come on, you don't want to be late for your first day!" She shook me harder. I whacked her in the head with a pillow. Ginny rolled off the bed onto the floor, making a thump that made the room shake, but nonetheless snoozed on.

"Do you want to be late for Potions?" She demanded, putting her hands on her hips. I groaned into the pillow and pulled the covers over my head.

"Old Snape won't care. You go." Ginny mumbled into the floor.

"Fine! You leave me no choice." Hermione stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her. We sighed and kept sleeping, but I jumped out of bed a few seconds later.

"Hey!" I looked up at Harry, who looked like he could hardly contain his laughter.

"You left me no choice." Hermione blew out the torch erupting from the tip of Harry's wand and I chased him down the stone steps.

"You'd better run, Harry! Next time you sleep in, I'll make it much worse!" I froze when I saw Alice and Rosalie walk in through the portrait hole. They noticed me too, and I stormed back up the steps and into the girls' dormitory.

"BELLA!" Ginny groaned when I rolled her blinds up, dowsing her in sunlight. I just threw her robes at her head and got dressed. Hermione came back in, still looking content. I stuck my tongue out and made my way down the steps, and Ginny slipped her hand into mine.

"Hey, Bella, I hear Harry had to give you a little wake up call!" Seamus Finnigan laughed, elbowing Dean Thomas, his best friend, in the ribs. Same old Seamus, always cracking jokes at others. At least every spell I cast didn't explode, like SOME Seamus Finnigans I know.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up, or you'll have the same painful fate." I rolled my eyes and approached Ron, who was drumming his fingers on his leg. I smacked the back of his head with a deafening crack, and he looked up at me.

"What was that for?!" He demanded angrily.

"You're my brother, that's reason enough." I plopped down next to him, and he raised his hand.

"Do you REALLY want to go down that road, Ron?" He contemplated that, shuddered, and lowered his hand. Ginny and Harry laughed and Hermione looked down on me disapprovingly.

"Bella, you really shouldn't hit Ronald like that." Without taking my eyes off her face, I reached up and smacked Ron again. He started mumbling all sorts of garbage **(A/N: I was SOOOOO close to typing 'rubbish'. But I mustn't use British slang...GRRR, it's so hard!)** about me abusing him. I noticed Alice giggle and skip out, and I sighed.

"Really, Bella, it's for the better." I sighed again at Hermione's words. If there was one thing I hated, it was admitting I was wrong. An old habit inherited from Dad. You should see him when Mom wins an argument... I shuddered.

"I'm good with it...as long as it doesn't interfere with Quidditch." I raised my eyes at Harry's comment. "Say, Bella, you're captain. When're trials?" I shrugged.

"I don't know. I'll have to ask McGonagall today." Everyone drifted into their own conversations and Ginny turned to me eagerly.

"Bella, did you see Neville's hair last night?" She sighed happily, and Hermione and I raised our eyebrows.

"Does little Ginny have an infatuation with Neville Longbottom?" I grinned. Every big sister dreamed of the day her baby sister got her first crush... but with NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM? I beat him in a duel in our first year, and he had help from TWO teachers.

"No! NO WAY! Ginny, you are not to see him EVER AGAIN!" Ron was Ron and started overreacting.

"Geez, calm down, you lunatic. It's just a crush!" I wrapped my arms around my knees. I should know about crushes. Edward was one. But the question was wether or not that love still lasted... wait, snap out of it, Bella! You HATE HIM. He left you. Your family is all you'll need... I pinched myself and turned my attention back to my family.

"Morning, all." Neville stepped off the last step and Harry and I grabbed Ron's arms before he could rip him to shreds. He struggled a little, and I dragged him onto the couch next to me.

"Alright, I think it's time we head down to breakfast." Hermione led us down the steps, and Harry and Ron started talking about Quidditch again. It felt like seconds later we were eating.

"Bella, look!" George pointed to the Head Table. Grandpa looked giddy. Too giddy.

"Oh, God. I bet it's got something to do with my 'trainees'." I mimicked his voice perfectly, and Ron, Harry, the twins and Ginny started laughing. He just happened to look over from the Head Table, and I noticed a familiar twinkle in his misty eyes. He was up to something. Then again, when wasn't he?

"Do you promise to tell us EVERYTHING that happens?" Hermione asked for the millionth time as we stepped into the nearly empty main corridor.

"Yes, yes, stop worrying yourself. I'll be fine. If you don't see me for at least five minutes after lunch, you start to worry." She didn't get my joke, and started hyperventilating.

"Oh, no... you could get killed... you do realize that, don't you? They might lose control... I've read that it's pure instinct that drives them... I swear, I'll be watching you, if I see one step made-" I put my finger to her lips and she stopped rambling, and her heavy breathing slowed.

"Calm down. I'm fine!" I kissed Ginny's hair, ruffled it, and they went off to Potions. Ron shot me an envious glance at me over his shoulder as they rounded the corner. He'd spent all of breakfast being jealous because I had the morning off. He acted like I'd be sitting in the common room eating sweets all day or something. I'd rather sit with Snape for two hours than spend the entire morning with the Cullens. I spun on my heel and jumped when I saw them hanging around the front door. Edward wasn't the only one staring at me.

"Geez, don't sneak up on me like that." I hopped over Alice and Rosalie's crossed legs and started down the courtyard. I heard their footsteps behind me. Hagrid waved from the window of his hut, and I waved back. I didn't stop walking until I reached a clearing by the lake. Most of them were admiring the waves, but turned their attention to me when I leaned against the trunk of a tree.

"Alright, so what did he ask you to do?" I sighed, fiddling with my fingernails and staring out at the lake. The morning sun was just rising over the horizon and a few birds flew up ahead.

"Something about fighting off... Death Eaters." Alice shuddered at the term. I snorted, and they all looked at me curiously. I pushed off the tree trunk and turned to face them with my arms crossed.

"Emmett, come at me with everything you've got." They all looked at me like I was insane.

"No! Bella, he'll-" But I stuck a hand up at Edward's defensive remark.

"I'd hurt him more than he'd hurt me." Edward, Emmett and I stared at each other for ages before he finally shrugged and charged at me. I stuck my wand up at him and he flew backwards, landing on his back. Rosalie looked like she could throw me into the lake and be done with it, but when Emmett started laughing, her expression softened.

"Told you." I picked at my fingernails again.

"That was SO awesome!" He took his place next to Rosalie again.

"Who's next?" They all looked around nervously.

"Alright. It looks like we're moving on to attacks." I got a little snap into reality. Never in my life had I thought I'd be training seven vampires. Well, at least not without fearing for my life.

"The only way you'll ever harm a Death Eater is if their wand isn't with them. So, Esme, you'll be taking this." I handed her my wand, and she took it uneasily, like it was a bomb that could go off at any moment. "Don't worry, it won't effect non-wizards." She relaxed. "Now, I'm going to need you to hide it." They all stared at me like I was insane again. She finally gave in and I shut my eyes while she hid it.

"Good. Now, Edward, come at me." I smirked at the absolutely destroyed look on his face. "Just do it." He didn't move. "Alright, fine. Emmett, how about you?" Edward stepped up and I snorted. He'd rather hurt me than his mountain of a brother.

"What... what exactly do I have to do?" He asked nervously.

"Whatever you want... just as long as it inflicts pain." He paled so much that I would've thought he'd turned into an icicle. He stepped forward and flipped me by my arm, I landed lithely on my feet. "Are you serious? A fish could hurt me more than that." I shrugged it off. "Whatever. Let's move on to fighting." Esme handed me my wand back from the top of the tree I'd just been leaning on.

"Now, when you fight a wizard, they won't be using their fists. Which means that one simple spell can end your life before you could blink." All their expressions turned sour. "That most likely won't happen, wizards fear vampires too much to even fight you." They relaxed again.

"When you're fighting, you NEVER approach any one of them without warning from either me, any of my family, my grandfather included. Doing so will lead to certain death." They flinched. "I'm afraid this lesson won't be able to be taught without assistants." I'd been waiting for this moment. I stuck both fingers in my mouth and whistled, and soon, Hedwig was on my shoulder.

"Meet Hedwig." I said in a dull monotone that couldn't begin to describe the owl Harry and I shared. I scribbled something out on a piece of scrap paper in my pocket and she flew off to the castle. I leaned back against the tree and waited a few minutes until my family ran down the hill, cheering, towards us.

"Thanks, Bella! You really saved us. Snape was lecturing about Harry's lack of discipline again." Fred leaned against my shoulder with his elbow and George did the same.

"Cullens, my family. Family, Cullens." I introduced them quickly. The twins eyed Emmett curiously while Luna gazed at them all happily. Grandpa arranged nearly every Gryffindor class to be with Ravenclaw, so we were together almost all the time. "My cousins, Hermione, Harry and Luna, my twin brother, Ron, my little sister, Ginny, and my older twin brothers, Fred and George." I specified their introductions.

"I'm ready to kick your butt, little sister." Fred and George said, stepping in front of me. Edward looked uneasy, and Alice and Rosalie put hands on his shoulders, pulling him onto the ground next to them.

"Expelliarmus!" George's wand flew out of his hand and the Cullens gaped at me in amazement. "One of us will be there alongside you in battle." They nodded, and Ginny stepped up. I crossed my arms. "You don't expect me to fight my baby sister, do you?" Ron took her place and I grinned. "That, on the other hand, I can do." The "lesson" continued until the Cullens were caught up. My family headed off for class, but Edward caught my arm before I could leave.

Crap.

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**That was SOOOOO fun to write. Like, so much fun it was criminal. I started laughing for no reason and my dad is wondering if I had too much fun with my Ron Weasley cutout. I called him a sicko. Anywhooooo, hope you enjoyed it! Review please! :D**

**xoxo Ginny**


	8. WHAT!

**Hi again! SQUEEEEE! I'M HAPPY BECAUSE I'M GOING BACK TO LONDON TONIGHT! Yippee! Homesickness is too much for my family, apparently. I have to leave right after this chapter, but I'll still update in London! I'm only going for a week. Anywhooooo, enjoy this chapter! Review please! :D**

**xoxo the very excited GINNYYYYYYYY!**

--------Chapter-----Eight--------

"What?" My voice returned to its usual uncaring tone that came when I was around Edward nowadays. He waited until Alice and Rosalie skipped off to the lake, talking about the beautiful view before speaking.

"Bella, we really need to talk." I groaned and rolled my eyes.

"There's nothing to talk about. You're my trainee and nothing else. Now if you'll excuse me, I have class." I took my arm back and started up the slope to the castle. He followed, naturally.

"If we leave this alone, Bella, we'll never get over this." I stopped and turned to face him with my hands on my hips.

"Get over what, exactly?" He didn't answer. "Look, if I'm not in class soon, I get a detention, so goodbye." I stormed back up to the castle and Edward didn't follow. The rest of the day went by too slowly, mostly because everyone was congratulating me on living to tell the tale of training vampires, and Hermione kept giving me 'fun facts' about vampires.

"Did you know vampires-" She started, reading aloud from a book, but Ron shushed her.

"Hermione, after today, you'd might as well become one. So shut it." He said irritably.

"Of course I wouldn't! Their venom is very slow to spread, I'd be in agony for days." I snorted. They all knew about James. "I still don't think it's very safe with you being around them so much, Bella. They could lose control at any moment and-" But I held up a hand.

"Calm down, Hermione. I'll be fine, I'm a big girl. And if you're taking my side in saying I shouldn't be with them, take it up with the man who arranged it." Speak of the devil and he shall appear. His trusty phoenix swooped down, dropped a letter in my grip and flew off again without even slowing. I tore it open cautiously.

_Bella,_

_Come up to my office around 3 o'clock. We should talk._

"He didn't even sign it!" I threw my hands in the air and groaned.

"You'll be fine, Bella." Luna tried to comfort me before she skipped off. I turned to the others.

"Ginny, stay with Hermione tonight. I don't have a feeling this'll be quick." I picked up my schoolbag and headed off. I didn't even stop walking until I opened the door to see Carlisle and Grandpa in the middle of a conversation.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." I feigned embarrassment and turned to the door, but he only called me back. Of course.

"Take a seat, take a seat." I did, and crossed my arms and legs. I had a feeling this would be uncomfortable.

"So, Bella, how was your day?" I put my chin in my hands at my grandfather's casual comment.

"If you're trying to bribe me, it's not going to work." He only laughed, and I knew he was trying to think of another way to get me to fall for his trap.

"Oh, alright. I'll just come out with it, then." I nodded and stood up, waiting. "You and Edward Cullen are going to need to go to Hogsmeade together this Saturday." I didn't move. I didn't breathe. I didn't even acknowledge the uneasy stares from Carlisle and Edward, who'd just emerged from the shadows.

"Wh-what?! You've GOT to be kidding me! It's bad enough I have to train the traitor, but-" He held up a hand. I noticed Edward shrank back a little more when I called him a traitor. But I was too busy freaking out to smirk in his direction.

"Well, I think it's time you went with someone other than your family. It should be great fun, they are predicting sunshine." I shook off his change of subject. He was always trying to change the subject, but it didn't work this time. I was too mad.

"Alright. Fine. But Ron, Harry, Hermione and Ginny are coming with me." I crossed my arms. If he wanted me to go through with this, I wasn't being dragged down alone. I knew Ron would go all over-protective-brother on me, and this was the only time I was grateful for that.

"I see no problem with that." YES! And the trap snaps shut... Edward's expression made me bite my lip, trying to hold back laughter. I knew he'd been hoping to get me alone. But I outsmarted him... again.

"Perfect. Now if you'll excuse me-" I didn't even finish my sentence as I dashed out. I already knew Hermione would be all over me with questions.

"What happened? What did he want? Did you see the Cullens again? What HAPPENED?! Bella, tell me, NOW!" She demanded the second I reached the landing from his office. Ron and Harry weren't far behind.

"Calm. Down. You're coming with me to Hogsmeade on Saturday." I said simply, making my way down the corridor casually. I didn't expect to get away without questions.

"What? Why? Are THEY coming?" Hermione lowered her voice to a whisper. I nodded, and she exhaled for what seemed like the first time, preparing for her speech.

"This is INSANE, Bella... I know I said it was for the better, but this is just... you can't POSSIBLY understand the danger... the books haven't said anything about this..." I cut her off when Alice and Rosalie started walking down the hall opposite, into HIS office. We stepped into the shadows as they passed, murmuring something I couldn't tell.

"Bella, I can't let you do this!" Hermione picked up where she left off.

"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly excited about this either. But we're in this now, and whining won't get us anywhere." We stepped into the common room. It was mid-afternoon and the sun was shining brightly through the long windows along the walls. Harry and Ron bounded down the steps in outfits that we all knew served only one purpose.

"Quidditch time!"

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**Sorry to cut the chapter so short, but my mum is threatening to leave me here if I don't shut off my laptop and leave for the airport. ;D I don't know when the next time I'll post will be, but I won't leave you for long, three days TOPS! I promise... but it'll most likely be tomorrow afternoon. Hope you enjoyed this, and keep reviewing! :D**

**xoxo Ginny**


	9. Hogsmeade

**Hi again! I'm in London, YIPPEEEEEEEE!!!!! Wow, I've missed it more than I thought possible. The first thing we did when the plane landed was go out for some fish and chips. Yummmmmyyyyyyyy!! We're at the hotel now, and everyone's asleep, but I HAAADDD to post this for you guys! Enjoy! :D**

**xoxo GINNNNYYYYYYYY!!!!!**

--------Chapter-----Nine--------

Saturday came too soon. I'd gone through a torturous week of nonstop "training" and uneasy glances from the Cullens. Alice tried to convince me to hang out with them one night, but Ron came in, looking for me, and I told them it was his birthday. When he asked what his present was, I just smacked him and ran.

"Bella, it's time to leave." Harry came down the steps, followed by Ron and Ginny, who took her usual place beside me.

"'Kay. Hermione, get down here!" I called up the steps. Hermione appeared, leaning over the balcony.

"Bella, I think I'm coming down with something. Might have to stay here." She gave the fakest cough ever, and I dragged her down the steps.

"Oh, no, 'Mione. You are NOT getting out of this. If you do, I'm staying." She shook her head at me before we went down the steps. Edward was leaning against the doorframe, toying with a button on his shirt.

"Alright, let's get this over with." I said, hardly stopping as I passed him, heading past the clock tower. We continued on to Hogsmeade, and it was fairly quiet until we actually got there. Edward was gawking at the small village, as I expected. Also as I expected, the others ran off to Honeydukes, leaving me with HIM.

"Thanks for being loyal!" I shouted after them angrily, throwing my hands in the air. Ron just shouted something about peer pressure. I noticed Edward smirk in the corner of my eye.

"Now we can talk." Of course he'd bring that up. Why wouldn't he? If he was REALLY so intent on winning me over, he should've just left me alone.

"YOU can talk. I might listen, if it isn't nonsense." I crossed my arms and sat on a bench. He sat next to me, and I looked at anything but him.

"I'm really sorry about what I did." I just snorted at his remark. That was so typical, so normal. You'd think a vampire would've thought of something better to use. "I'm serious. It's just... this was the last place I expected to see you." The annoyed gleam in my eyes dimmed slightly.

"No one seems to answer my question; why are you even here?" I felt the tips of my hair go crimson. That was one of the most annoying things anyone can do; to not answer my questions.

"Carlisle thought this was where we could try and forget about Forks. And, of course, your grandfather asked for our help." All of my hair turned blood red and singed a little. My mood turned sour, and I struggled to put out the slight flame to ease Edward's uneasy expression.

"Well, you got your wish. I might hang out with Alice once in a while, but I'm not your puppet anymore. I've learned my lesson." I started to stand, but, Edward being Edward, he grabbed my arm and pulled me gently back down. I took my arm back and looked away. Expressing feelings was not on my favorites list.

"You never were, Bella, I loved you. Why else would I go through such hell just to be with you for almost a year?" My eyes flickered to his smoldering ones for a moment before returning to the lamppost next to the bench.

"You just answered your own question. If you were so keen on me, you wouldn't have stayed for a year before skipping out." I crossed my arms and didn't hide the stubborn look in my eyes. Edward just sighed exasperatedly.

"Same Bella, I see, stubborn as hell." He was talking to himself more than me. I noticed Hermione and Ginny eavesdropping from a window above us. I shooed them away quickly before Edward looked back up at me again.

"Yeah, well you aren't much better yourself." He just made a chuckling noise under his breath.

"Why can't we just let this go and... start over again?" I considered his words for a second. Starting over... starting over... after such an eventful six months in hiding, starting over seemed like something that would be better for everyone. That made me think about Hermione's words earlier. Everything going on was for the best... maybe Grandpa wasn't such a traitor... maybe he was just trying to help me.

"Fine." His expression lightened for a moment before he groaned and put his head in his hands. "What?" I asked nervously. Edward being exasperated wasn't usually something good.

"You'll see." Was all he muttered. I was in an odd state of confusion before someone tapped on my shoulder, and I looked into Alice's excited eyes.

"I'm Alice Cullen, you must be Bella." I see she was taking the whole "starting over" thing seriously. I stared between her and Edward for a moment before taking her outstretched hand. Before I could shake it, she had tackled me to the ground in an infamous Alice hug.

"Oh, I knew it was you! I have my sister back!" She cheered. It wasn't loud enough to draw attention, but Edward pulled her off me before it did. I noticed all of my present family peering out of the window and I groaned and rolled my eyes.

"I'll be back." I heard them follow me anyway as I went inside the surprisingly warm shop. Something must've caught their eye, because when I climbed the steps to the top floor, they weren't following.

"Congratulations, Bella!" Ginny hugged me when I reached the fairly empty landing above.

"Why do I have to have the family who eavesdrops for a living?" I leaned against the doorframe.

"It was Hermione's idea." I wasn't surprised that Ron defended himself first, and I looked over at the blushing Hermione.

"Well, Harry is the one who said you wouldn't mind." I looked over at Harry, who was giving Hermione a vengeful look.

"Fred and George said it would be fun!" I looked over at the twins, who were mumbling to each other, looking for another excuse.

"I don't care who's idea it was! All that matters is that you NEVER DO IT AGAIN." They all breathed a sigh of relief when I smiled.

"Well, we're going to the Three Broomsticks. Are you coming?" I looked out the window to see Edward and Alice were gone.

"Sure." We went down the street casually, and Harry and Ron filled the silence with chatter about nothing in particular before finally settling on Quidditch as we took a table in the far right corner.

"So, Bella, did you finish your Potions homework?" Everyone stared at Hermione. "What?" She demanded defensively.

"This is our day off, Hermione! No one wants to talk about Potions!" Ron said angrily. She just shrugged and looked at the table.

"So, Bella, I see you've got your boyfriend back." Harry elbowed me in the ribs and I blushed.

"WHAT?! Bella, I swear, if you EVER-" Ron exploded. His head was so red, it made his vibrant hair stand out even more as he brought his fist down, making the table shake. Hermione's butterbeer nearly fell over.

"Calm down you maniac, I don't have a boyfriend." He stared at me, still fuming, for a few minutes before he sat back down. His head didn't return to its normal pale tone until Ginny changed the subject. Fred and George were still on the floor, laughing.

"Get up, you baboons." Ron grumbled. His ears and neck went red in his embarrassment, and I was struggling to hold back laughter. I couldn't handle it anymore, and my hair went bubblegum pink. I let out a small giggle into Ginny's shoulder when Ron wasn't looking. The conversation ensued, and we only let out small giggles or chuckles when Ron went up for another drink. We'd been told to return to Hogwarts by a very rosy-cheeked Cho Chang (Harry stared after her lustfully, and Ginny's eyes fell sadly, it was a heartbreaking sight) after about two hours.

"Ronald, stop eating for a moment and look at the Head Table." Hermione whispered at dinner, pointing to the Table. Everything seemed in order... except for the fact that two very important people were missing. The gleam of a great white beard and black curtain of hair were gone, as were their owners.

"Wonder if old Snape finally realized he isn't welcome here." George joked. Only Fred and Ginny laughed. I would've, too, but the alarm, fear and slight frustration in Hermione's voice kept me from it.

"This doesn't make sense... they could be the only answer... but of course not, why would they? She hasn't suspected anything yet, neither of them have..." Hermione started mumbling to herself.

"What are you talking about?" I asked suspiciously. Hermione never talked to herself, she thought it was a sign of insanity.

"Excuse me." Hermione was still mumbling to herself more than us as she grabbed her bag and hurried out of the Hall. It was only the family, Professor McGonagall, and... Draco Malfoy who saw her leave. My eyes met Malfoy's cold ones and I looked back at my family quickly.

"Harry, you stay here. If I'm not back in twenty minutes, you, Ron and the twins come after me. Clear?" They nodded and I chased after Hermione quickly, without attracting attention. Malfoy murmured something to his friends and dashed out of a door nearby the Slytherin table. I was too worried about my cousin to care.

_Think, Bella. This is HERMIONE we're talking about here. Where would she go? The common room? No, that was too... common. The dormitories? No, she can't be tired. THINK, BELLA! _My mind screamed at me. An actually realistic thought occurred to me, and it was soon confirmed. I found her in the library, her nose in a book.

"What's up?" I asked, sitting next to her. The room was empty, luckily, whatever was going on, I knew it shouldn't be public.

"She never said anything about it... this isn't good... no, no, he never said anything, either... but how could it happen without them knowing?" She kept mumbling to herself, shutting her book and pulling out another one. I was getting more and more frustrated by the second.

"Stop, Hermione! Answer me." I shut the book she'd just pulled out and stuck it back on the shelf. Hermione groaned and plopped back down with her head in her hands.

"Alright, if you MUST know... Edward and Alice Cullen have been looking out for your future lately. Not just yours, but everyone's... and something has come up, I know it. Snape and Grandpa aren't there, which must mean something's gone horribly wrong in our future... but of course, we would've been alerted..." She trailed off, talking to herself. I sat back in the chair, in some state of shock. The Cullens WERE here for a reason, to protect me. That made my hair turn crimson in my newfound anger. Why did they keep protecting me?! I wasn't some fragile little twig, Bella Swan, anymore, I was Bella Weasley-Dumbledore, I had powers that not even vampires could deflect! I could kill them in seconds, any vampire in seconds, and yet they worried about me even worse than before.

"You really shouldn't take it out on them, Bella, they were invited, you do realize that, don't you? It was for your own good, all of ours, and if they weren't here, we would be completely unsafe." Hermione gathered her things and stood up. "Now, if you don't mind, I think it would be in the best interest of everyone if we go and talk to Edward and Alice."

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**Well, there you have it; the start of the action/adventure. I hope this chapter satisfied you all, it was VERY fun to write. Anywhoooooooo, keep reviewing! It'll ensure you another chapter sooner! :D**

**P.S. IT'S ALMOST 4 AM! I STAY UP LATE FOR YOU PEOPLE!! XDDD**

**xoxo Ginny**


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